Burnout Legends - Quick review User Review

Burnout Legends for the PSP. I like it. It's fun. It's 'arcadey'. But....

Burnout Legends is a classic burnout game on the PSP. It's the only Burnout I've played other than Burnout Paradise. It's interesting coming to Legends after Paradise. Now I can see many things that have been translated to Paradise, from the earlier games.

Graphically the game is good. It's not the cleanest racing game I've ever played on the PSP, but it's not terrible. It's probably got better visuals than Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition. However it's not as clean or clear as Gran Turismo on PSP is.

Part of that is the speed and mayhem, and part is design. It can be hard to see where the route is going at high speed because in the distance it's just a few blurry pixels. Then as you approach a corner or intersection, it comes up on you really fast leaving little time to respond. You do get used to it, but it makes the road feel very cramped.

Controls are a bit imprecise. Clearly it's a PSP game, so you don't have the finesse you have on a PS3 game. However, when lining up for a takedown, it's difficult to adjust speed and direction with sufficient precision to do more than try to spear your opponents car.

There is a nice variety of mission, lots of cars. Sound is pretty good and the sound track is well suited to the game. the high octane tracks fit the speed and mood well.

The game is a straight up arcade racer with bells and whistles. As long as you like the fast racing and action, the game has longevity, so replay is good, if this is your kind of game.

Overall, I am enjoying the game. However, I think I was spoiled by the PS3's Burnout Paradise. The lack of precision in the controls, and the cramped-ness of the courses prevent this game from from being all it could be. Midnight Club 3, for example, has a greater feeling of openness, and the controls feel tighter in that game. Graphically, Burnout Legends looks good, and it sounds good. But it's let down by the course design and controls.

It is a good game, it is fun, it is very playable. But, you get the feeling that it could have been just that much better in several areas. In the end, although it's a fun game, and you will enjoy it, if arcade racing is what you are after.

It's only $9.99 right now on PSN. There are PS Minis that cost nearly the same amount and yet offer a mere fraction of what Burnout Legends does. I'd definitely recommend picking it up if you like a more arcade racer than Gran Turismo.